Justice of the Peace Dianne Hensley, of McLennan County. Photo courtesy KXXV-TV, Waco. The Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct on Monday issued a public warning to a Republican judge from Waco who refuses to perform same-sex marriages but still performs them for opposite-sex couples. McLennan County Justice of the Peace Dianne Hensley told the commission that the way she has handled the matter is based on her “conscience and religion” despite the 2015 Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage. Hensley did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but she has spoken publicly about her decision, including in a 2017 article in the Waco Tribune-Herald in which she said she felt she was entitled to a “religious exemption.” “I’m entitled to accommodations just as much as anyone else,” Hensley was quoted saying. The commission, in its warning made public on Monday , said Hensley’s unequal way of performing her extra-judicial duties violates the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct by “casting doubt on her capacity to act impartially to persons appearing before her as a judge due to the person’s sexual orientation.” Related Stories A public warning is the second-highest of six disciplinary measures used by the commission. The […]
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